👋 Meet Edward, a KTA supporter from Mount Holly Springs!

Q: What makes hiking in Pennsylvania special/meaningful to you?
A: "The Appalachian Trail runs through the town I live in. Both the South and North Mountain and the valley in between have provided many memorable moments. "

Q: What type of hiking do you typically prefer most often?
A: "Overnight hikes"

Q: When did you start hiking?
A: "I've been hiking since I was a little kid in one form or another. Probably the early 1980s"

Q: What are you currently excited about in your hiking life?
A: "I'm looking forward to completing the Appalachian Trail up to the Susquehanna River."

Q: Which hiking trails do you enjoy/recommend that are near where you live?
A: "There is a trail that does not have a sign but it appears on maps. It's called the blueberry Trail. I always see wildlife there including a porcupine once coming down a tree"

Q: Which hiking trails do you recommend (anywhere in PA)?
A: "Appalachian Trail, Darlington Trail and the Blueberry Trail." 

Q: What do you value most about KTA's mission?
A: "Protecting and preserving​"

Do you care about providing, protecting, preserving, and promoting recreational hiking trails and hiking opportunities in Pennsylvania?
​That's why KTA is here! Help ensure this mission continues to be fulfilled. ​https://www.kta-hike.org/donate.html

👋 Meet Michael, a KTA supporter from Carlise!

Q: What makes hiking in Pennsylvania special/meaningful to you?
A: "Pennsylvania has a such a wide variety of terrain that makes exploring through hiking always interesting.  We have mountains with incredible vistas (one of my favorite types of hiking destinations).  We also have fairly flat farmland, marsh preserves and wetlands, some incredible urban hiking areas like Fairmount Park and the Wissahickon in Philadelphia where you are hard pressed to know that you are actually in a city because the woods are so thick and beautiful.  And, of all things, you have PA history, pretty much anywhere you hike.  The general history of the state is amazing enough, but if you begin to learn the local history where you hike, it opens a world of wonder and awe for what settlers and native Americans lived through, and how people lived and endured through difficult times.  Coming across ruins or old stone walls in the middle of nowhere is always fascinating to me - thinking about the people who were there at one time and how they lived, and that those ruins, at one time, were a brand new house for a hopeful family full of dreams. "

Q: What type of hiking do you typically prefer most often?
A: "I most often engage in day hikes on the weekends.  I am an avid trail running as well and sometimes my hikes will be to scout new trails to run on.  I want to get into doing more multi-day backpacking trips as well."

Q: When did you start hiking?
A: "I have always wanted to do more hiking through most of my life. I finally decided in 2008 to actually start doing it consistently and to go on hiking vacations."

Q: What are you currently excited about in your hiking life?
A: "I'm excited to explore the Tuscarora State Forest.  I live in the Cumberland Valley between Tuscarora and Michaux.  I have spent a lot of the last 3 years exploring Michaux.  I love Michaux, but the little I have been up to Tuscarora has shown me that there seems to be a much more remote feel there, which I really like.

Q: Which hiking trails do you enjoy/recommend that are near where you live?
A: "All the hiking trails in Michaux State Forest, I would recommend, as well as day hikes, or multi-day hikes on the Appalachian Trail.  I would recommend Flat Rock in Colonel Denning for an incredible 180+ degree vista of the Cumberland Valley.  In Michaux, I would also recommend checking out Hammonds Rocks and Chimney Rocks - incredible geological features in the area. "

Q: Which hiking trails do you recommend (anywhere in PA)?
A: "Outside of my immediate area, I would always recommend Hawk Mountain and Pinnacle and Pulpit near Hamburg.  If you like waterfalls, make sure you hike in Delaware Water Gap, outside Stroudsburg - there are waterfalls everywhere, even if they are not on a map!" 

Q: What do you value most about KTA's mission?
A: "KTA has brought a lot of awareness of hiking opportunities in PA, as well as, working to maintain trails as well.  I think these things are important for the community on the trails and to show new people the beauty of hiking in PA.​"

Do you care about providing, protecting, preserving, and promoting recreational hiking trails and hiking opportunities in Pennsylvania?
​That's why KTA is here! Help ensure this mission continues to be fulfilled. ​https://www.kta-hike.org/donate.html

👋 Meet Leslie, a KTA supporter from Upper Allen, Cumberland County! 

Q: What makes hiking in Pennsylvania special/meaningful to you?
A: "PA has such a great variety of trails - fields, mountains, gaps, towns, rural, farmland, towns.  I can get to a wide range of trails in just a short drive from my home. "

Q: What type of hiking do you typically prefer most often?
A: "day hikes"

Q: When did you start hiking?
A: "I've been hiking since I was a kid.  After we moved to Central PA, I started hiking on a weekly basis with friends starting in 2002"

Q: What are you currently excited about in your hiking life?
A: "Having the AT so accessible inspired me to do more hiking on the AT.  With my hiking friends, I have completed all of the AT in PA, MD and WVA - all on day trips.  I have hiked up Katahdin, the northern terminus of the AT.  I have hiked a part of the AT in 13 of the states that AT goes through.  In May, I will hike up Springer to complete my 14th state (and the southern terminus)."

Q: Which hiking trails do you enjoy/recommend that are near where you live?
A: "Any part of the AT in the area is great! Bluebells north and south of Scott Farm spring time, Pole Steeple, Hawk Rock, Sunset Rocks, Peters Mountain (up the blue blaze, loop back on AT)"

Q: Which hiking trails do you recommend (anywhere in PA)?
A: "Flat Rock in Colonel Denning Park is a great training hike" 

Q: What do you value most about KTA's mission?
A: "Keeping our local hiking trails available for all to enjoy now and for future generations!"

Do you care about providing, protecting, preserving, and promoting recreational hiking trails and hiking opportunities in Pennsylvania?
​That's why KTA is here! Help ensure this mission continues to be fulfilled. ​https://www.kta-hike.org/donate.html

The 40th Season of Trail Care has been transformative! Building trails, skills, and friendships. We have held ten events and have seven to go yet. Over those ten events, we had an average of 16 volunteers and 160 hours contributed (that includes a one- and a two-day event). Our numbers are definitely up over last year, but starting to decline as summer rolls along and everyone is so busy. See if you can fit us in your schedule and help give back to PA's hiking trails; let's keep the momentum going. You can join us for the whole weekend, or just a day. I have finally completed updating event websites for all the remaining Trail Care events; you can now sign up HERE for as many as you want! In addition to the usual weekend events, there are also Tuesday Trail Cares at LeTort Spring Garden Preserve in Carlisle on 8/20 and 9/17, and we've added another A.T. workday on 11/2.

To recap: in May and June, we worked on all four Regions of the Mid State Trail. In State College, we basically cleared the entire section(!) from Penn Roosevelt State Park to Stillhouse Hollow (8 miles), except a couple short spots. In Everett, we tackled the entire section (10 miles) from Biddle Place north to Ashcom Road (except for a short spot near Ashcom), and half of the section from the Civil War Trenches south to Blue Triangle. Almost all of the mowable sections were cleared. In Woolrich, we cleared 10 miles of brush and blowdowns, rebenched ~250' of sidehill, and cleaned out some rock stairs. In Tioga, we mowed to our hearts' content over the three days, and also cleared the Water Tank-MST-Stone Quarry loop off the Pine Creek Rail Trail, as well as installing crucial blazes and signs.

At the first Trail Care in April, there were 26 volunteers! On the Quehanna Trail and side trails we worked on bridges and puncheon, built a new footbridge, and lopped, brushed, sawed, and blazed  29 miles of trail. In May, we worked on the Chuck Keiper Trail: 1000' of sidehill was redug, a junky campsite was cleaned out (6 contractor bags full, in the rain, 2.5 miles down, then back up), and the much-anticipated reroute on the Cross Connector, around the muck-up-to-your-knees swampy area, was completed. In June, we traveled to Oil Creek State Park and completely overhauled all but one of the trails in Wildcat Hollow before the rains came. Crews did an exceptional job rebenching and clearing trails, as well as rehabbing, repairing, and replacing bridges and boardwalks.

In July, crews tackled parts of the West Rim Trail and connector trails, taking full advantage of three days of wonderful weather. Five miles of trail was cleared of brush and 6.2 miles of trail was re-blazed. 600 feet of sidehill was also redug, stabilizing those areas from erosion and providing a much more level hiking surface.